§ 152.142 EXEMPT SIGNS.
   The following signs are exempted from obtaining a sign permit as described in § 151.146, but must be established and maintained in accordance with this subchapter as to not cause safety hazards.
   (A)   The replacement of a panel or display message on an approved sign, involving no changes to approved size, location, or lighting.
   (B)   Painting, repainting, cleaning, or other normal maintenance and repair of an existing sign or sign structure, unless a structural change is involved;
      (1)   General maintenance does not include redesigning such sign.
   (C)   Window signs covering not more than 30% of the window area.
      (1)   Only neon or external illumination shall be permitted.
   (D)   Non-illuminated temporary noncommercial signage per tenant for a period not to exceed 45 consecutive days. A 90-day period must expire before such sign can be reestablished.
      (1)   Sign shall be limited to either one sign that is 16 square feet in area or two signs not exceeding 16 square feet in combined area.
      (2)   Sign shall not be greater than five feet above the grade level of the adjacent street to which the sign is located or four feet above ground level, whichever is greater.
   (E)   Property actively for sale or for lease is permitted one sign per road frontage. Such property must be offered for sale or lease through a licensed real estate agent or through advertising in a local newspaper of general circulation.
      (1)   Residential zoning districts shall be permitted 6 square feet for contiguous parcels on less than 100 feet of road frontage and 20 square feet on contiguous parcels with greater than 100 feet of road frontage.
      (2)   Business and manufacture zoning districts shall be permitted 20 square feet of sign area when not adjoining a highway and 32 square feet when adjoining a highway, but at no time exceed two signs.
      (3)   Signs shall not exceed a maximum height of 5 feet for contiguous parcels containing less than 100 feet of road frontage and a height of eight feet for contiguous parcels containing more than 100 feet of road frontage.
      (4)   No more than one sign shall be permitted per street frontage and shall be at least 15 feet from the intersection corner.
      (5)   For through lots (fronting on two parallel streets), two signs may not face the same street.
      (6)   Illumination is not permitted.
      (7)   Sign must be removed 15 days after the date of on which a contract of sale has been executed.
   (F)   On-premise incidental signs not exceeding six square feet of area, or four feet in height. Such sign shall not contain any logos, and only give information or direction for the convenience and necessity of the public such as "entrance," "exit," "no admittance," "parking," and "123 Main St.".
      (1)   Each property must be marked using numerals that identify the address of the property so that public safety departments can easily identify the address from the public street.
      (2)   A directional sign shall be permitted near each entrance of a business or manufacture zoned property.
      (3)   Standard traffic directional signs, such as STOP and Yield signs, shall comply with the "Manual for Uniform Traffic Control Devices".
   (G)   Government signs.
   (H)   Flags which are fastened to poles and setback a minimum of ten feet from the public right-of-way and property lines.
      (1)   Up to three flag poles containing no more than two flags per pole.
         (a)   Residential zoned properties are permitted a flagpole height of 25 feet and 40 square feet of total flag area.
         (b)   Nonresidential zoned properties are permitted a flagpole height of 70 feet and 216 square feet of total flag area.
   (I)   Election signs that are not detrimental to public safety are permitted beginning 60 days before an election and ending the sixth day after the election if the surface area of the sign is not greater than 32 square feet, pursuant to IC 36-1 -3-11.
      (1)   Only the surface area of one of the faces is considered for signs consisting of two faces, if both of the following apply:
         (a)   The faces are mounted back to back.
         (b)   The measure of the angle between the faces is not more than 15 degrees.
   (J)   Umbrella signs of three square feet or less.
   (K)   Interior signs located in a building, not attached to a window or door, that is not legible from a distance of more than three feet beyond the lot line on which such sign is located.
   (L)   Miniscule messages displayed on or near a primary entrance.
      (1)   Sign shall not exceed 30 square inches nor shall the cumulative area of all miniscule messages exceed 288 square inches per primary entrance. Examples include "Visa", "ATM", and corporate logos.
   (M)   A work of art for the expression of a message which is political, religious, or pertaining to a view, expression, opinion, or idea that contains no reference to the endorsement, advertising of, or promotion of patronage of a business, commodity, service, entertainment, or attraction that is sold, offered, or existing.
      (1)   Murals that contain a commercial message shall be regulated as a wall sign. Only areas of the mural that provide a commercial message will be subject to wall sign square footage standards, and shall be computed by means of the smallest rectangle that will encompass the extreme limits of the commercial message.
   (N)   Holiday lights and decorations containing no commercial message.
(Ord. 2017-13, passed 12-4-17)